


we've both been (very brave)

by daleked



Series: Brief Lives: Alternate Universes [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-16
Updated: 2012-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 08:25:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daleked/pseuds/daleked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is an animal rescue officer. Stiles meets him. They fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we've both been (very brave)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> This is for Sophie and her cat Scott. :-) also, suspension of reality in the story below. Seriously.
> 
> ETA: I didn't realise that editing this would send it to the top of the pile again. :-0 also, hold out for a coda.

It starts with a black cat. Stiles is walking home when a black cat zips past him before turning around to stare at his shoes rather disapprovingly, and dashes off again. The black cat has an elegant gray collar around its neck and is solidly built for a cat, larger and bulkier than the other cats he’s seen before (not many, considering the fact that the residents of Beacon Hills prefer dogs).

Stiles reaches home and dumps his stuff on the floor of his room before tramping down the stairs and entering the kitchen.

Holy crap, who is that hot guy and why is he talking to Stiles’ dad? The Sheriff looks up and grins at him, motioning for him to come over. The both of them are just leaning against the counter and talking, and Mr. Sexy is nodding along to what Stiles’ dad is saying.

“Stiles, come here. This is Derek Hale. You know, the old family down in the woods?”

“Yeah, Miss Hale is the local librarian, remember?” Stiles says, almost tongue-tied. “I guess you’re her brother. Hi.”

 “I’m the prodigal son,” Derek Hale says dryly, shaking Stiles’ hand. “Laura told me that if I didn’t come back within the year, she would visit me in Florida and throw books at my head.” Stiles nods sympathetically. He’s been on the receiving end of Laura Hale’s creative death threats one too many times before, thanks to his inability to whisper in the library. The most inspired one was when Laura told him that if she heard his voice one more time, she was going to shove a copy of Oscar Wilde’s Complete Works so far up his ass that he would be able to read it while it was still embedded somewhere in his body.

Needless to say, Stiles feels an instant bond with Derek.

“Well, Derek here is going to be part of our brand new animal rescue division. There’s been a recent increase in animal abuse cases, so he’s… You know, family now.” Derek looks almost embarrassed by this and ducks his head, looking out of the window. Stiles' dad starts talking about the work Stiles is doing, being in advertising and all, and it's Stiles' turn to be embarrassed. He finally works up the courage to run away when his dad pulls up the poster he did for one of the formal events at Beacon Hills High, taking the stairs two at a time.

Yeah, Stiles can totally handle being ‘family’ with sex on legs, yo.

+

It turns out that Derek houses all the animals back at his place. Stiles follows Scott down to the Hale place twice a week to check up on the animals, and ends up with cats all over him. There's Erica, the beautiful sand-coloured cat that Derek had rescued from abusive owners back in Florida, and Isaac the adorable little American Wirehair ("this breed is known for its prominent cheekbones, did you know that?" Scott tells him excitedly while stroking Isaac's head. Stiles looks and yes, indeed, it does have magnificent cheekbones.) as well as Boyd, the solid, strong moggie that Stiles spotted on Derek's first day back.

There are all sorts of other animals, too- dogs with broken legs that whine pitifully and the occasional coyote waiting in the yard with a radio collar on (kept away from all the other animals). Laura Hale has two giant terrapins that stare out bleakly at Stiles, blinking slowly and shaking their heads. She's nicer now, too- but openly bullies Derek about going through Caesar's _Gallic Wars_ in his spare time, commenting on his poor Latin. Stiles spends more and more time at the Hale household. Derek is often gone for days at a time, picking up animals, conducting raids on nearby towns with his threatening eyebrows. When he comes back, it's with a new animal- a dog, a cat, or one memorable time, a Jackson's Chameleon from Matt Daehler's house. Stiles admires its horns and calls it a modern-day Triceratops, making Derek huff with laughter.

Derek tells him about it. About the illegal trade of exotic pets, of delicate sugar gliders that fit in the palm of one's hand, to beautiful macaws that have been in captivity for so long that they're clumsy in the air. Stiles tells him that yeah, he's watched _Rio_ , no need to get all sanctimonious on him. Derek growls at that and brings out a cage to show little baby Chinese hamsters to Stiles, and tells him that he had to confiscate them because the owner didn't have a permit.

"But they're just _hamsters_ ," Stiles says, aghast. "Not like that Indian Star Tortoise you had to take back the other day, but these are just hamsters."

 Derek puts them back carefully.

+

Stiles' crush on Derek grows. One Saturday night, Stiles is feeding Erica some chicken liver treats when there are yipping sounds right outside the window. He freezes. Those sounds- shit. Coyote mating season. Great, dog sex. Erica hisses at the window, but is placated when Derek comes in with bonito flakes for her. They sit in an awkward silence, listening to the snarls and whimpers outside.

  
"Mating season, huh?" Stiles comments weakly, watching as Erica pads over to Derek and curls up in his lap, purring. Isaac seizes this opportunity to leap into Stiles' lap and knead, butting his head insistently against Stiles' hand. Stiles complies and strokes, and it isn't long before Boyd comes up and meows loudly, demanding chicken liver treats too.

  
"I've nearly forgotten what it sounds like," Derek says. "The Hale house is rather near pack territory, after all." He passes Stiles the container of bonito flakes for Isaac and their fingers brush. Stiles' heart jolts, but he tells himself to get over it. Derek is staring at him with an unfathomable look in his eye, and Stiles doesn't realise they're drawing closer until Boyd lets out a plaintive yowl, squashed between them. Stiles jerks away and stands up hurriedly, dropping Issac on the floor.

  
"I have to go," Stiles says quickly. "Projects I owe clients, I..." There's another thump of cat-hitting-the-floor as Derek stands up and takes the few steps over, standing right in front of Stiles.

  
"You don't..." Derek cuts himself off, looking frustrated. Stiles turns around, ready to go, but Derek grabs his shoulder and follows, standing in front of Stiles.

Derek kisses him.

Let it be known that Stiles is a lip-virgin. He has absolutely no idea what to do with his hands or face, and clutches at the front of Derek's shirt tentatively. Derek lets out a small sound of need and pulls him closer, coaxing Stiles to open his mouth.

So he does.

+

And it turns out that Derek's been dancing around Stiles the same way Stiles has been dancing around Derek. Each afraid of taking the first step for fear of rejection, heads bowed and masks on. Stiles is relieved to find this out and spends an afternoon mapping Derek's mouth atop his bed while Scott goes on his rounds, checking up on the animals in blissful obliviousness.

Two months later, Derek shows him a litter of four coyote pups. They're captive, and Stiles watches Derek talk about how he had to get three different permits over a period of two years just so he could study them. They get names, official ones on the paperwork- Ash, Kristofferson, Felicity and Mycroft. Derek calls Stiles a hipster for watching Sherlock Holmes and Wes Anderson movies, but duly notes them down anyway. Ash and Felicity are girls, and Mycroft is the biggest of them all. The dominant cub.

+

  
"Right," Derek says. "I'm going to do this properly."

"Do what?" Stiles asks, looking around the living room. It's been two years since they got the cubs, and Derek is holding a training whistle in hand. A new trick he got Mycroft to learn, maybe? Derek gets down on one knee beside the couch where Stiles is sitting, and blows the whistle. Ash comes bounding in, something held in her jaws. Felicity and Mycroft follow, and Kristofferson races out of the kitchen with a slice of bacon in his mouth. Derek groans, but doesn't bother reprimanding him. He takes the wrapped box from Ash and unwraps it gingerly, revealing a ring box.

"Stiles," Derek says once and clears his throat. "Genim Stilinski. Will you marry me?"

+

Stiles designs his own wedding invitations. He draws in the four pups as well as the cats, and manages to fit in Laura's monstrous terrapins. Then Derek comes in with a hyacinth macaw, and somehow, Stiles ends up drawing that in too.

"There's only one ending that can be found here, you know," he murmurs. Derek furrows his brow.

"What's that?" Derek asks, trying to wrestle a chew toy out from Kristofferson's grip.

"Happily ever after," Stiles tells him. "You're rolling your eyes, but you secretly like it. Love it, even."

Derek grins at him.

"Yeah, I do."

 

**FIN.**

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear what you thought of this.


End file.
